Spring draft-gear.



C. B. PATCH.

SPRING DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.23. I9I4,

1,203,254. PaIenIed OCI. 31,1916.

A TTORNE Y UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

CALVIN B. PATCH; OF GLENELLYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR TO WILLIAM HI MINER, 0F CHAZY, NEW YORK.

Y SPRING DRAFT-GEAR.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CALVIN B. PATCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glenellyn, in the county of Dupage and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spring Draft-Gears, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to spring draft gears.

An object of the invention is to provide a draft gear of the type indicated, which does away with-the use of stop castings and which employ keys as the stop members and also as the means for connecting the yoke acting member of the gear to the drawV bar.

The invention 4furthermore consists in the improvements in the parts and devices and in the novel combinations of the parts and devices, as herein shown, described or claimed.

In the drawing forming a part of this specication, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central vertical sectional view of a draft rigging, showing my improvements, the car sill being broken away to prevent crowding of the drawing. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-4-3 of Fig. 1.

In said drawing, 10-10 denote the center sills or other draft members, between which my improved gear is adapted to be mounted. As shown, said sills are reinforced on the inner sides thereof by plates 11-11, said plates and sills being slotted with relatively short slots 12 at the rear and elongated slots 13 at the front end. The gear proper comprises a substantially cylindrical shell 111, open at its rear end but provided with an integral front wall 15, said shell being pro-` vided with elongated slots 16 on the sides thereof near the rear end and through which is adapted to be extended a stationary key 17, which also fits in the slots 12, said key being prevented from accidental displacement by cotters 18 or other suitable means. The shell 14 is also cut away at the top and bottom thereof as indicated at 19, see Figs. 1 and 3, and through these cutout portions extends a vertically arranged follower 2O having an extension or rib 21 on the rear Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 23, 1914.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

serial No. 868,174.

side thereof, which is slotted as indicated at 22, so as to fit over the key 17. Between the follower'20 and the front wall 15 of the casing or shell is mounted the cushioning means which, as shown, comprises nested springs 23.

The draw bar 24 is slotted as indicated at 25 to receive therethrough a movable keyf26 which has its ends extended through the slots 13. The connection between the draw bar and the follower 20 is in the form of a substantially elliptical shell 27, the upper and lower walls 28 thereof engaging the follower 20, as shown in Fig. 1.V The side walls of said shell 27 are slotted as indicated at wardly extended arms 30 on the sides therey of, which are enlarged as indicated at 31 at their forward ends and provided also vwith elongated slots 32 in which slides the key 26. The arms 30 may be strengthened as by means of ribs 33 33.

The operation of the device is as follows z-Under buff, the draw bar engages the front wall 15 and forces the casing 14 rearwardly, thus compressing the springs 23 against the follower 20, which is held stationary by the key 17, the key 26 sliding freely within the slots 32. Upon draft, the key 26 pulls the arms 30 forwardly and thereby the shell 27 which engages the follower 20 and compresses the springs 23 between it and the front wall 15 of the casing 14, whichl casing is prevented from forward movement since it is held by the Vkey 17.

It will be noted that the Vdraw bar may be removed without disturbing the gear proper, by simply taking out the key 26 and also that the gear may be removed or repaired without disturbin the draw bar by removing the rear key 1%.

I claim v 1. In a draft rigging for railway cars, the f combination with an outer casing and an inner casing telescoped within the outer casioo ing, both of said easings being provided" cushioning means disposed within said inner casing and bywhich it is supported.

2. In a draft rigging for railway cars, the combination with draft sills, of a stationary key mounted in said sills, a draw bar, a shell having a closed front end and provided with elongated slots on the sides thereof near the rear and through which said key extends, said shell being cut away at the top and bottom thereof, a follower mounted in said shell and movable within said cutaway portions and supported by said key, cushioning means between said follower and the closed front end of said shell and means for mow ing the shell in one direction upon movement of the draw bar in the same direction.

3. In a draft rigging for railway cars, the combination with the draft sills, of a stationary key mounted therein, a draw bar, a

shell slidably mounted on said key and having a front closed end, a follower within said shell and engaging said key, cushioning means between said follower and the front end of the shell, a casing encircling said 20 CALVIN B. PATCH.

Witnesses CARRIE G. RANZ, LUCILLE HIGGINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

